Hidden Gems: Meet Irene Dubin of Blue Portal Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Dubin

Hi Irene, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My new life journey started when I became more conscious and self-aware in my mid-40s after a terrible car accident that was a wake-up call for me. That horrific experience pushed me to seek more meaningful ways to live my life. Transitioning from Big Pharma to the mental health field, while raising children and navigating the challenges of being a first-generation immigrant made me more resilient and determent for the success. It wasn’t easy to return to school to get another master’s degree in psychotherapy. It was not just my personal journey, I had to be a role model for my children- showing them the importance of persistence and purpose of life. I had no choice other than to push myself forward. The responsibility of a single parent is enormous, and it has been a driving force that helped me through those years. Despite the life difficulties, that time only shows the importance of the family bond and sense of connection. Now, in retrospect, I am so grateful for my children and their support, and understanding of me during those years.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most challenging experience for me was a language barrier and the cultural adjustment. Moving to a new country and starting over in a new career, especially without emotional or financial support, requires an immense amount of strength and perseverance.
The contrast between the communal, open-door culture I was used to and the more individualistic nature of my new environment have been tough. That feeling of isolation—of not having that familiar safety net of friends and family nearby was overwhelming. Yet, despite that, I pushed forward, relying on my own inner resilience and determination. That cultural background and the values I brought with me shaped my sense of community and connection.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
When I started practicing as a psychotherapist, I came across psychedelic research and studies for addiction, treatment-resistant depression, and PTSD. I was thrilled by that, and I chose to practice psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy after my experience working in the field of addiction. This work made me search for better tools and modalities to work with trauma, as almost all of my clients who suffered from addiction had a previous history of trauma. When I searched, I found the MAPS organization that conducted clinical research with psychedelics for years to treat specific conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life anxiety, trauma, and addiction. I was amazed by the results of the studies and was eager to learn more about them. That’s how I started my professional journey to become a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist. It took me years to learn all about native entheogens and how to use them in safe and controlled settings for therapeutic purposes. It is my life mission now to help people alleviate their mental and emotional suffering when it’s possible and teach them how to connect to their inner healer. That brought me to another like-minded person, Tradd Cotter, an author, mycologist, and researcher. We joined forces and started our work together at the Blue Portal Wellness and Retreat Centre. Since then, Blue Portal has helped hundreds of people reclaim mental and emotional health and well-being. We’ve seen lots of successful cases, and this is the best reward that we could have ever wished for – to see people having their lives back without debilitating symptoms of depression, anxiety, or addiction.

Any big plans?
I hope that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy will be available in many states in the near future. For now, I will continue my work with psilocybin at the retreats, providing legal and safe therapeutic settings to help people who are right candidates for that type of therapy. For instance, there are many veterans who desperately need this therapy, and it’s frustrating to witness how debilitating some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can be, especially when we have a cutting-edge, evidence-based treatment option that still has not been fully approved. In the midst of the mental health crisis, I am planning, together with Blue Portal Wellness, to offer more affordable retreats in 2025 and make a difference so that everyone has access to a healthier and happier life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Blueportalretreat.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8bscXfX2x8